Jethmalani's fresh attack on Gadkari, Jaitley and Sushma

November 27, 2012 22:16 IST

Suspended Bharatiya Janata Party MP Ram Jethmalani on Tuesday mounted a fresh attack on party President Nitin Gadkari, accusing him of dragging the party on a suicidal path and took potshots at Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj over the appointment of new CBI Director.

In his letter to Gadkari and in comments to the media, Jethmalani made a scathing attack on Jaitley for backing Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar for the post of CBI Director who he said was "totally unworthy" of holding that office.

However, Jaitley refused indulge in a war of words with Jethmalani saying, "I don't think he deserves a reply any more."

Terming his suspension from the BJP as "ultra vires", Jethmalani said he was even ready for expulsion if he was guilty but was unremitting in his attack on Gadkari, whose "rubbish" has harmed the party and dented its image.

"Your order of suspension is ultra vires and usurpation of the power of the Parliamentary Board. Besides no situation had arisen in which you should have proceeded without speaking to me and complying with ordinary decencies of a quasi- judicial office which you hold," the suspended party MP said.

He maintained that he is "totally indifferent" to the step taken by Gadkari as his standing in the legal profession and in politics as well as the affection and respect that he enjoys from sections of the people of India does not depend on his membership of Parliament.

Making a scathing comment, Jethmalani said in his letter, "I am convinced that you are firmly set on the path of suicide and you are determined to drag the whole party with you. 'Vinash kal Vipreet Buddhi (when one is set to be doomed he loses his mind)' is an old maxim."

He also said he suspects Gadkari is prejudiced against him and hence took this action of suspending him out of "personal pique".

Levelling charges against other senior party leaders, Jethmalani has said Gadkari has suspended him on the advice of Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Jaitley.

Touching on the CBI controversy and the letter written by Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj to the Prime Minister opposing the appointment of Ranjit Sinha as CBI Director.

"The litigation instituted by Mr Sinha's rival is too notorious a fact not to be known to our party leaders," Jethmalani said.

He claimed that the advocates appearing for the rival officer have been virtually Jaitley's "juniors."

"It is very improbable that the litigation before CAT was not known to him and I presume that you (Gadkari) have also acted on advice of Mr Arun Jaitley," he charged.

"I did not know until I learnt from the press that the appointment of the new incumbent (to the post of CBI Director) was opposed by our leaders on some different grounds," Jethmalani said.

He also complained to Gadkari that though he is a senior Rajya Sabha member and a founder of the BJP, Jaitley and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj did not discuss the Lokpal Bill with him.

Jethmalani rejected the ten day deadline given by the party for him to reply to his show cause notice on his expulsion, saying he was busy time should be extended upto December-end.

On the government's decision on the CBI Director, he said the prime minister has done a good thing for a change. "He rarely does so. Where is the attack in this on Sushma and Arun and what indiscipline," he said.

Referring to Gadkari and the action of the other two leaders, Jethmalani said, "I cannot account for their lack of wisdom. I am clear they have already irredeemable and irretrievable harm to the party.... Even a Congress agent will not be able to do what all the three of them, Gadkari in particular, have done."